The Cavaliers' trade with the Memphis Grizzlies last Tuesday won't preclude them from being active at the trade deadline.

They have about $4 million in salary-cap space. Only two teams have more available space -- Houston and Phoenix, respectively, at about $7 million each.

With the draft pick coming to the Cavs from Memphis, they have acquired six additional first-round picks in the near future.

In Cavs general manager Chris Grant's opinion, they can never have enough first-round picks. They are becoming increasingly more valuable around the league. They can also be used in larger deals.

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The Cavs' trade with Memphis illustrated what a team armed with cap space can accomplish. Whenever a team can turn Jon Leuer into Marreese Speights and a first-round pick, it's a win.

The deal was lopsided and a feather in Grant's cap. The Grizzlies needed to get under the luxury-tax threshold. His last two transactions have helped re-shape the team. His waiver claim of journeyman Shaun Livingston was also a shrewd move.

Grant will be on the prowl for more young talent at the Feb. 21 deadline. Three players with expiring contracts, Luke Walton, Daniel Gibson and Omri Casspi, could be moved. ESPN's Marc Stein said not to be surprised if the Cavs flop Speights to another team at the deadline.

"I think it's more dissatisfaction with his situation," he said. "He wants to be the best player or No. 1 option offensively. I think it's impacted his entire game.

"Unfortunately, right now his attitude toward the game is impacting his production on the court, and the Lakers are not getting his very best. At his very best he'd still be a dominant defender, rebounder and 18-point scorer. He doesn't like his role. You can see from his comments, from his play, he has very high role-frustration right now."

Van Gundy said Howard's recent play has left many people shaking their heads.

"He has rudimentary offensive skills," he said. "He's not a good ball handler. He doesn't have a really well-defined low-post game. He is a poor free-throw shooter. But he can have a huge impact on the game defensively, rebounding, screening, rolling, the occasional post move because he's so athletic. But, he doesn't want to do it that way.

"When you lose games and you're going around after the game with a stat sheet in your hand and you're saying, 'Look at the stat sheet' to reporters and to your teammates. You know what it is? It's passive-aggressive, immature stuff. It's sad. This guy has so much to offer that is good for the game, to the game and to the Lakers. They're paying him huge money and they gave up a lot to get him."

The Lakers could explore trading Howard at the deadline. He can become an unrestricted free agent after this season and there's no guarantee he'll re-sign with the Lakers.

Pelican brief

The New Orleans Hornets will become the Pelicans at the conclusion of the 2012-13 season.

At first, I thought it was a joke, but it's not. The Brown Pelican has been Louisiana's state bird for more than a century. According to a news release, the Pelican symbolizes the determination to not only survive, but thrive even when the odds are stacked against them as the Gulf Coast region has demonstrated over and over.

"When we purchased the basketball team, it was a priority to change the name to reflect our culture, our community and our resolve," Hornets owner Tom Benson said. "The Pelican does that."

Many think the Charlotte Bobcats will adopt the Hornets' name. They are doing market research now to see whether a name change would improve ticket and merchandise sales.

"We are aware of the impending change regarding the team nickname in New Orleans," Bobcats Sports & Entertainment president and COO Fred Whitfield said. "We are currently in contact with the NBA and conducting our own due diligence relative to this matter. We will not have any further comment until we have completed this process."

Rumor mill

-- One reason not to trade center Anderson Varejao in the offseason might be that LeBron James might want Varejao on the team if he comes back. They were very close as teammates in Cleveland. James could re-sign in the summer of 2014.

-- The Cavs could be targeting one of the talented bigs at the top of the 2013 draft such as Indiana's Cody Zeller (7-foot, 240 pounds), Kentucky's Nerlens Noel (6-11, 216) or Maryland's Alex Len (7-1, 255). Would Speights' presence on the team alter their draft plans? Probably not.

-- The recent Cavs-Grizzlies deal lessens the urgency for Memphis to move forward Rudy Gay. However, NBA insider Rick Bucher said the Grizzlies are listening to offers. They want to lighten their payroll. Their new owner is encouraging the team to turn a profit.

-- Speights had the ability to veto his inclusion in the trade to the Cavs. By doing so, he gave up his "Bird" rights, which means the Cavs cannot exceed the cap to re-sign him. He has a player's option on his contract for next year worth $4.5 million. If he plays well in the second half of the season, agent Andy Miller might recommend pursuing a multiyear deal.

Quick shots

-- Cavs coach Byron Scott wants Kyrie Irving to be a better player next year. "Now, the goal is to work even harder in the summer and be a starter in the All-Star Game instead of a reserve next year," he said.

-- The Cavs came back from a 20-point deficit on Friday against Milwaukee. The last time they won after trailing by 20 or more points was on March 5, 2010, against Detroit, when the Cavs overcame a 21-point shortfall.

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Information for the NBA notebook was gathered by personal interviews and from other beat writers around the league.